Breakdancing officials have revealed how Raygun managed to get selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Controversy swarmed Rachael “Raygun” Gunn after a strange performance at the Olympics' first-ever breaking contest.
The Australian breakdancer scored zero total points from the judges after showing off her eyebrow-raising moves that included kangaroo hopping, slithering like a snake, and rolling around on her shoulder.
Raygun's performance was quickly shared online and drew criticism from many viewers who began questioning how she was selected to represent Australia on the main stage.
Well, the official Australian breakdancing sporting body, AusBreaking, has finally stepped forward to explain how the 36-year-old qualified for the international multi-sports event.
The sporting body elaborated: “The selection process for Australia’s breaking team heading to Paris was conducted over two days, and open to all interested participants in the Oceanic region. Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) regulations, which align with International Olympic Committee (IOC) standards, the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome."
They revealed that "a panel of nine international adjudicators, a head judge, and a chairperson who oversaw the competition used the same judging system at the Paris Games and trained to uphold the highest standards of impartiality".
"These judges are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international breaking scene," they added.
The committee explained that Gunn and another dancer named Jeffrey Dunne "emerged as the top performers" and secured their spots for the Olympics after the judges reviewed their performances.
“Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day. In the lead-up to Paris, Raygun used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to consistently advocate in the media for Breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural origins," they added.
Ausbreaking defended the backlash against the breakdancer - who is a Macquarie University lecturer - stating: "We condemn the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun."
"The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against the opponents in her particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun," they concluded.
Another judge named MGbility, whose real name is Martin Gilian, also supported the dancer against the hateful comments online.
They said she was " attempting to bring something fresh something original that represented her country," and that "the breaking and hip hop community definitely stands behind her".
Despite the Aussie's headline-making display, she will not be able to replicate her performances in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as Olympic chiefs confirmed that breaking has already been scrapped.
Well, at least she made a name for herself, regardless of what people thought about her performance.
“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative - that’s my strength, my creativity,” Raygun told ESPN.
"I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage," she added.
